5.2 Flowering plants and ferns
85
Table 5.2.2
Key localities for nationally rare (RDB) and scarce plants (records post 1970)
Locality
Status
Species
Lizard Peninsula
Part NNR,
part SSSI,
RDB species: Cornish heath
Erica vagans, Dorset heath
Erica ciliaris, dwarf rush
Juncus
part undesignated
capitatus, four-leaved allseed
Polycarpon tetraphyllum, fringed rupturewort
Herniaria
ciliolata, hairy greenweed
Genista pilosa, land quillwort
Isoetes histrix, long-headed
clover
Trifolium incarnatum subsp.
molineri, nit-grass
Gastridium ventricosum,
pennyroyal
Mentha pulegium, pigmy rush
Juncus pygmaeus,
prostrate toadflax Linaria
supina, sea knotgrass
Polygonum maritimum, shore dock
Rumex rupestris, slender bird’s-
foot-trefoil
Lotus angustissimus, spotted cat’s-ear
Hypochoeris maculata, three-lobed
crowfoot
Ranunculus tripartitus, twin-headed clover
Trifolium bocconei, upright clover
Trifolium strictum, Vigur’s eyebright
Euphrasia vigursii, western ramping-fumitory
Fumaria occidentalis, wild asparagus
Asparagus officinalis subsp.
prostratus
Mount’s Bay
Part SSSI,
RDB species: Bermuda-grass
Cynodon dactylon, Dorset heath, Greek sea-spurrey
part undesignated
Spergularia bocconii, shore dock, three-lobed crowfoot, western ramping-fumitory
Isles of Scilly
part SSSI,
RDB species: dwarf pansy
Viola kitaibeliana, four-leaved allseed, Greek sea-spurrey,
part undesignated
least adder’s-tongue
Ophioglossum lusitanicum, orange bird’s-foot
Ornithopus pinnatus,
purple viper’s-bugloss
Echium plantagineum, shore dock, smaller tree-mallow
Lavatera
cretica, western ramping-fumitory
St. Ives to Watergate Bay
Part SSSI,
RDB species:
Bermuda-grass, Cornish heath, Dorset heath, early gentian
Gentianella
part undesignated
anglica, hairy-fruited cornsalad
Valerianella eriocarpa, hairy greenweed, Irish spurge
Euphorbia hyberna, little-Robin
Geranium purpureum, pennyroyal, shore dock, slender
bird’s-foot-trefoil, spotted cat’s-ear, Vigur’s eyebright,
western ramping-fumitory, wild
asparagus
Padstow Bay
Part SSSI,
RDB species: field eryngo
Eryngium campestre, hairy-fruited cornsalad, little-Robin,
part undesignated
slender bird’s-foot-trefoil, western ramping-fumitory, wild asparagus
Lundy Island
SSSI
RDB species: Lundy cabbage
Coincya wrightii
Taw-Torridge Estuary
Part NNR, part SSSI
RDB species: early gentian, fen orchid
Liparis loeselii, hairy-fruited cornsalad,
pennyroyal, sea stock, round-headed club-rush
Holoschoenus vulgaris, sea stock
Matthiola sinuata, slender bird’s-foot-trefoil, water germander
Teucrium scordium
West Exmoor coast to
Part SSSI,
RDB species: Irish spurge, May lily
Maianthemum bifolium, whitebeams
Sorbus anglica,
Porlock Bay
part undesignated
S. subcuneata,
S. vexans
Bridgwater Bay
Part NNR, part SSSI,
RDB species: Bermuda-grass, branched horsetail
Equisetum ramosissimum, Cheddar
part undesignated
pink
Dianthus gratianopolitanus, compact brome
Bromus madritensis, goldilocks aster
Aster linosyris, honewort
Trinia glauca, lizard orchid
Himantoglossum hircinum, nit-grass,
purple gromwell
Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, rough marsh-mallow
Althaea hirsuta,
round-headed club-rush, Somerset hair-grass
Koeleria vallesiana,
smooth rupture-wort
Herniaria glabra, wall germander
Teucrium chamaedrys, white rock-rose
Helianthemum
apenninum
Avon Gorge
Part SSSI,
RDB species: Bristol rock-cress
Arabis stricta, compact brome, honewort, little-Robin,
part undesignated
nit-grass, round-headed leek
Allium sphaerocephalon, whitebeams
Sorbus anglica,
S. bristoliensis,
S. eminens,
S. wilmottiana
Barry to Southerndown
Part SSSI,
RDB species: compact brome, hoary stock
Matthiola incana, nit-grass
, purple gromwell,
part undesignated
tuberous thistle
Cirsium tuberosum
Kenfig Dunes
SSSI, LNR, NNR
RDB species:
fen orchid, sea stock
Sources: JNCC rare plants database; Stewart
et al. (1994); SSSI citation sheets; BRC database. Key: SSSI - Site of Special Scientific Interest;
NNR - National Nature Reserve; LNR - Local Nature Reserve.
5.2.3 Human activities
In the past, some species have been threatened by collecting,
particularly in the era of botanical exchange clubs around
the end of the last century, when herbarium specimens were
swapped amongst botanists. Problems of collecting have
now passed, but the precise localities of potentially
collectable species such as Plymouth pear are still kept
strictly confidential, to prevent unwelcome attention.
Many of the rare species depend on the maintenance of
open vegetation and cannot compete if vigorous or weedy
species dominate. Species such as four-leaved allseed and
sea knotgrass depend on trampling.
Changes in land use,
such as afforestation and agricultural intensification, can
also affect rare species. Agricultural changes including
intensification and reduced grazing have affected many
species, including pennyroyal, western ramping-fumitory
and least adder’s-tongue (R. FitzGerald & R. Parslow pers.
comm.). Attempts to stabilise dunes by planting sea
buckthorn
Hippophae rhamnoides have damaged some
communities (Gillham 1987). Any rises in sea-level as a
result of climate change would affect species of shorelines,
especially shore dock.
Construction projects such as sea defences, culverting of
streams and tourist developments can lead to loss of habitats
and have affected such species as shore dock. As most of the
important sites for rare species have been designated as Sites
of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), these factors now affect
scarce species more than rare ones; examples of affected
scarce species include early gentian (Morgan & Palmer 1991).
5.2.4 Information sources used
All the counties in the region
were covered by rare plant
surveys between 1982 and 1989, and a series of detailed
confidential reports was produced, now in the care of the
Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), English Nature and